Manila’s Izzy Johnson won the Red Bull Dance Your Style Philippines National Finals held at Bridgetowne last April 11, securing the right to represent the country at the world finals in Zurich, Switzerland.
The competition was decided entirely by the crowd, with no judges on the panel. Dancers faced randomly selected music and had to adapt their performances in real time based on audience reaction.
“I felt that all my pressure was replaced by excitement. The crowd became my fuel. When I saw they were happy with my dancing, I felt like I had already won,” Izzy said.
Finalists included dancers from different parts of the country, among them Nemesis and Doodsieroll.
“I also absorbed some of their maturity—that when it comes to dance, you don’t have to be too technical. You just have to be true to your dance,” Izzy said.
The event highlighted street dance styles from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, with competitors showcasing different approaches to freestyle and musical interpretation.
With his win, Izzy will compete at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals in Zurich, where dancers from more than 50 countries are expected to participate.
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“To represent the Philippines at the Red Bull Dance Your Style World Finals is to represent the people. But first of all, it starts with me, I’m a Filipino, so I represent myself first. And I represent every Pinoy that helped me get to this moment,” he said.
The world finals in October will bring together national champions for a global street dance competition, where winners will be determined by audience vote.
